He was a monster headmaster of a government school in Tamil Nadu, who misused his revered post to prey upon his students – both girls and boys. For years, those who resisted his attempts were threatened that that they would be failed. Others were subject to corporal punishment. Staff, including a relative, who received numerous complaints over the years about the headmaster, however, chose to turn a blind eye to his crimes.
On Tuesday, a special court in Madurai sentenced S Arockiasamy to 55 years imprisonment for sexually abusing 20 girl students, including Dalit children. He was also ordered to pay a fine of Rs 12,32,500.
Arockiasamy, who was headmaster from 2009 until his suspension in 2011, is suspected to have sexually abused 91 boys and girls of a Government High School in village near Madurai.
The 55-year sentence
Found guilty under Section 354 (outraging modesty of women) and Section 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC and under various Sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, and the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act, 1998. Arokiasamy will serve a sentence of 55 years. Third Additional District Judge R Shanmugasundaram sentenced Arockiasamy to imprisonment for five years each for sexually abusing five children belonging to Schedules Caste under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. He also got two years each for abusing 15 other students. The 25 years in the first part of the sentence and the 30 years will run consecutively.
One complaint lead to many
The first case was filed in July 2011 by a parent alleging that her daughter studying in 7th standard and other girl children were sexually abused by the Headmaster of the school. The complaint said that he used to touch the breasts of the young girls and make them touch him. He used to undress children privately and take pictures on his camera. The mother had alleged that the Headmaster’s niece was also helping him and her daughter was afraid to even go to school.
This first complaint then opened the Pandora’s box.
Soon, many parents came forward narrating horrific tales of sexual abuse. Within 10 days of the first complaint, a fact-finding committee was sent to the school. What the committee found had then sent shock waves across Tamil Nadu.
The abuse had been going on for three years and Arockiasamy would not even spare girls who had fallen sick and taken to the rest room. The sick man would summon the children to his room on various pretexts and abuse them. He also clicked pictures of all those he abused.
Though many students had complained to Amala Rose, the headmaster’s niece, she had told them to adjust. And adopting a classic victim shaming tactic, the woman told the victims that people would point fingers at them if they complained.
The sadist took such pleasure in abusing the girls, that in one instance, he assaulted a minor in front of her blind grandmother.
The judge, however, acquitted the other teachers, C Amali Rose, Shanmuga Kumarasamy and Victor who were charged with aiding and abetting the headmaster in the crime.